Chromebooks, laptops running Google's ChromeOS, have been around for over a decade and have evolved from simple internet access tools to excellent laptops for personal or business use. Although Chromebooks have an expiration date, after which they stop receiving security and feature updates, their ease of use makes them a good choice for schools, businesses, and people who aren't very familiar with technology.
However, many negative opinions about Chromebooks have circulated over the past 10 years, including the myth that they can't be used offline and that the devices are inferior. Some of these criticisms may have been true when Chromebooks were first released, but have since been corrected or improved.
Here are eight misconceptions about Chromebooks that you should ignore when looking for a new laptop.
1. Chromebooks do not have strong performance
This is a common misconception dating back to the release of Chromebooks, when they were mainly used to access the web via the Chrome browser. As more people started using Chromebooks, including school and business uses, Google increased the functionality of the operating system and Chromebook manufacturers improved their performance to take advantage of the new features. Now, as with other laptops, with a Chromebook you get what you pay for.
ChromeOS, the operating system for Chromebooks, still maintains low hardware requirements. This means that Chromebooks can offer basic functionality for less money. Despite the low hardware requirements, Chromebooks can deliver performance equal to or better than similarly priced Windows laptops.
2. You can only use Chrome on Chromebooks
It's understandable, but wrong, to think that Chromebooks running ChromeOS can only use the Chrome browser. You can run other browsers, such as Brave and Firefox, on your Chromebook.
To use these browsers, you need to download the apps from the Google Play Store. While these apps are intended for Android phones, they will also work on your Chromebook. Some apps support tablets, so they look cleaner and use the extra screen space on your Chromebook. Their windows can also be resized like traditional desktop software.
3. Chromebooks are not safe to use
Chromebooks have multiple layers of protection to keep your data safe. For example, you get automatic updates from Google so your device always has the latest security updates. Chromebooks also run Websites and Applications in isolated environments (sandboxes) to contain threats.
These security features make Chromebooks more secure than many other laptops. According to CVE Details, a source of security vulnerability data, ChromeOS has about 50 security vulnerabilities since 2010. In comparison, Windows 10 has nearly 3,000 vulnerabilities since 2013.
4. Chromebooks don't work without an internet connection
While the early models were designed to be used online only, Google changed this a long time ago so that many Chromebook apps work with or without an internet connection. You can use your Chromebook to take notes, watch movies, and listen to music offline. You can even check and reply to emails or view, edit or create documents on Google Drive. In these cases, whatever emails you send or changes you make to documents will not be completed until you reconnect to the internet.
5. You can't play games on Chromebooks
Years ago, you could only play web-based games on your Chromebook, but since 2016, you can play many of the games available on the Google Play Store. This includes games like Roblox and Apex Legends Mobile. You can also play games from Steam, Nvidia's GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Cloud Gaming on your Chromebook.
Google now sells Chromebooks designed for cloud gaming. The Acer Chromebook 516 GE, Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip and Lenovo Ideapad Gaming Chromebook are the first three gaming Chromebooks that allow anyone to play AAA PC games without a high-end gaming PC via cloud services.
6. Chromebooks are not good for photo or video editing
For basic editing, the Google Play Store has several photo and video editing apps, including Adobe's Android apps and LumaFusion, both of which are compatible with Chromebook. Google also unveiled a new video editor and movie maker in Google Photos in July.
If you're a professional and need more advanced photo or video editing capabilities, such as Adobe InDesign or Photoshop, you should still prefer a Windows, Mac or Linux computer. However, if you're composing a family photo album or a video for a family reunion, Chromebooks have everything you need.
7. Chromebooks can't run Microsoft Office
Yes, you can run Microsoft Office on your Chromebook. However, instead of using the software package created for Windows or macOS, you'll use the Microsoft Office progressive application websites, or PWAs.
PWAs are like mobile versions of websites, but offer more features, such as offline use and push notifications. There are PWAs for Microsoft Office 365 that work great on Chromebooks. Other than downloading PWAs, using them is the same as using the web versions of Office 365. More experienced Microsoft Office users may find that the Office PWAs are not as powerful as the desktop software, but the PWAs will likely meet most people's needs.
Source of information: cnet.com
